Agbodza unhappy with slow pace of Tema-Dawhenya road rehabilitation
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has expressed concern over the slow pace of rehabilitation works on the 17-kilometre Tema Roundabout-Dawhenya stretch of the National Road One (N1).
Mr Agbodza said the contractors, First Sky Construction and BHM Construction Limited, had made limited progress on the project since his previous visit to the site four months ago.
He questioned why only two earthwork gangs were operating along the 17-kilometre stretch instead of having teams working simultaneously from both ends of the road.
“You see, when this road is just about 17km and what we have been complaining about is that right from the beginning I get the impression the contractors do not intend to do the work because I do not see any activity,” he said.
The project, which commenced in September 2020, is currently 23.11 per cent complete.
The road forms part of the Trans-West African Highway, an important regional route linking Ghana to other ECOWAS countries and supporting the movement of people and goods across the sub-region.
During an inspection of the project last Wednesday, Mr Agbodza criticised the low level of activity and directed the contractors to accelerate construction to reduce the difficulties faced by motorists.
“We see one gang doing a small culvert somewhere on diversion, but diversion allows you to do actual work,” the Minister said.
The inspection formed part of efforts by the Roads and Highways Ministry to assess progress on major road projects being implemented under the government's Big Push programme in the Greater Accra Region.
Traffic flow improves
Mr Agbodza acknowledged that there had been some improvement in traffic movement along the Tema-Aflao corridor.
He attributed the improvement partly to the construction of some rotary and diversion arrangements by the contractors.
However, he questioned the lack of visible construction activity between the Tema Motorway Interchange and other sections of the road.
The Minister urged the contractors to distribute their operations across the entire stretch rather than concentrating their earthworks in one area.
“Today, motorists get stuck because they use only the existing lane,” he said, calling on the contractors to construct the service lanes from the Motorway Interchange to improve traffic flow.
He recalled that he and his team had themselves encountered heavy traffic around the TT Roundabout while travelling to inspect the project.
Contractor explains traffic measures
Responding to the concerns, Chief Executive Officer of First Sky Construction, Oliver Acquah, said the contractors had made progress in addressing traffic congestion along the corridor.
He explained that at Savannah, the company had constructed a rotary to facilitate the movement of vehicles, while at Prampram Junction, the two contractors had agreed to create two lanes to enable traffic to be diverted through Prampram Township.
“So, technically, the traffic management has improved considerably,” Mr Acquah said.
Construction progress remains slow
Mr Acquah, however, acknowledged the Minister's concerns about the overall pace of construction, admitting that work on the 17-kilometre stretch had been “slow”.